Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Should be interesting to see the actual plan when it’s rolled out tomorrow. I wonder how all the advance speculation by critics will stand up to scrutiny when the details are finally revealed. I suspect the dreaded Tax on Everything™ imagined by hysterical Tory partisans will, as usual, turn out to be a lot of poppycock. As Paul Wells said the other day, “The advance reviews are so awful, it has to be good.” Quite so.

Update:Garth has a great post on this today.“The differences between the GST and the Green Shift are legion and, to the consumer and taxpayer, there will be no valid comparison. Once you see the plan tomorrow you will understand this is not a retail tax. It will not increase any prices overnight. It will come with billions in tax cuts and new benefits that increase the cash flow of every family. It’ll spur businesses to take corrective action. It will shame the Conservatives who have cried wolf.”

Update2: Interesting post and comments at Scott Tribe’s place about the poaching of ideas from the Green Party regarding Dion’s proposed carbon tax (or whatever it finally gets called) and how that might play out in terms of electoral politics. From The Star: “With its more sweeping taxes and savings, the Green plan may help pave the way to making the Liberal plan look more modest and practical, though Green Leader Elizabeth May, already in an informal co-operation pact with Dion, says that’s not the motivation.”